Sea transfer device



Aug. 29, 1961 E. E. HlMEl., .1R 2,998,148

SEA TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Feb. 2, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR f///VO #M754 Je..

ATTORNEY Aug. 29, 1961 E. E. HIMEL, JR

sEA TRANSFER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1959 INVENTOR fMA/D E /v//MEL JQ.

ATTORNEY United States Patent O FTice 2,998,148 SEA TRANSFER DEVICE Edmond E. Himel, Jr., 5031 St. Anthony Ave., New Orleans, La. Filed Feb. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 790,515 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-14) This invention relates to a device for transferring persons from a relatively stable platform such as a dock, a large crane, or the deck of a large ship to a more rapidly moving platform such as the deck of a small boat at sea.

An object of the invention is to eliminate the hazard of grasping a boarding ladder or the like from the deck of a rapidly bobbing boat.

Another object is to facilitate between boats or ships at sea.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

In one embodiment of the invention a carrier, such as a ski lift chair or the like, is suspended by a spring loaded reel from a hoist carried by the stable platform. The spring reel is adapted to permit the carrier to rise and fall with the deck of the smaller boat when the chair is anchored thereto while the hoist remains stationary. This permits the person to be seated easily in the carrier when it is anchored to the boat deck while the spring loaded reel keeps the hoisting cable taut. When the carrier is released from its anchor it is free to be raised by the hoisting cable for transferring the person to the stable platform. l

Various features of the inven `'on will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompany-ing drawings in which a specic embodiment thereof has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of a transfer device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the spring reel with parts in elevation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged View in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail View of the carrier anchored to the boat deck; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of a further embodiment of a spring reel, with the lower parts in elevation and section.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, a hoist comprising a vertical pole '10 and a boom y1.1 is shown as mounted on a platform 12 which may be of any of the types above mentioned. The pole and boom are mounted for horizontal rotation by means of a sheave 13 actuated by a cable 14 from a control cabin 15 on the platform 12. The boom 11 is controlled by a cable 16 extending from the boom to the top of the pole 1G and thence ro the control cabin 15. A carrier 17 is suspended by a supporting cable 18 from a spring loaded reel 19 which is attached to a hoisting cable 20 extending over the boom 11 and to the control cabin 15. The carrier 17 carries an anchor line 21 which is attached by a quick release hook 22 to an eye 23 on the deck 24 of a boat 25.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 the reel is shown as cornprising a pair of plates 30` joined at the top by an inverted U bracket 31 apertured to receive a bifurcated stud to which is secured an eye 32. The eye 32 and hoisting cable 20 are attached by a quick release hook as shown in FIG. l. The plates 30 carry bosses 33 which carry bearings for shaft 34. A reel 35 is carried by and attached to the shaft 34 between the plates 30.

A pair of plates 36 are provided with flanges 37 which are attached to the respective plates 30 and form enthe transfer of cargo closed spring chambers 38. The plates 36 are provided with bosses 39 to carry bearings in which the ends of the shaft are journalled. Flat inner ends of the spiral springs 40 are attached to the shaft 34 and the outer ends to the walls of the plates 36. The springs are adapted to exert the force required to maintain the supporting cable 18 tight as the boat 25 rises and falls with the carrier 17 anchored thereto.

A flanged frame 41 is attached to the lower ends of the plates 30 and extends downwardly to provide a guide for the supporting cable 18. Two pairs of crossed rollers 42 and 43 are carried by the frame 4'1 and are spaced to provide a guiding clearance for the supporting cable 18. The yframe 41 carries at its lower end a resilient member 44 such as sponge rubber which is adapted to serve as a stop for the carrier y17.

The carrier 17 shown in FIGS. l and 4 comprises a frame 50 supporting a seat 51 and carrying at its apex a ring 5-2 by which it is attached to a snap hook 53 on the supporting cable 18. The frame 50 extends downwardly below the seat 51 to form legs 54 joined at the bottom by a reinforcing frame 55 and adapted to rest upon the deck 24 of the boat 25. Beneath the seat 51 is mounted a reel 56 driven by a motor 57 and carrying the anchor fline 21. A motor 57 is controlled by a line 58 provided with a spring controlled reel mounted centrally of the boom 11 which thence leads to the control cabin 15.

The supporting cable 18 is provided with a stop 59 which is adapted to engage the resilient member 44 on the spring reel to limit the reeling in of the supporting cable 18 as shown in IFIG. 4. A similar stop 59a is carried by the anchor line 21. In operation for lowering a person to the deck 24 the carrier 17 is first lowered to the platform 12 to allow the person to be seated in and secured in the seat 51. At this time the springs 40 maintain the supporting cable 18 fully reeled in with the carrier frame 50 engaging the resilient stop 44.

The carrier is then lowered over the deck 24 of the boat 25 until the anchor line 21 touches the deck 24. An attendant on thevdeck 24 then attaches the hook 22 on the end of the anchor line 21 to the eye 23 in the deck 24, after which power is supplied to the motor 57 to reel in the anchor line 21 onto the reel 56. This pulls the carrier 17 down to the deck until the frame 50 secured to the legs engage the deck 24. The spring reel allows the cable to play in and out as the boat 25 rises and falls on the waves. When the carrier is thus brought down and secured to the deck 24, as shown in FIG. 4, the person can readily step out of the carrier onto the deck.

For transferring a person from the deck of the boat 25 to the platform 12 the above operation is reversed.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5 a center plate 60 is shown which carries a pair of hub members 61 which are integal with anges 62. A shaft 63 is journalled in each hub member 61 and projects beyond the flange 62. The outer end of each shaft 63 is journalled in a boss 64 formed in a plate 65 having a peripheral ange 66 attached to the flange 62 and forming therewith a spring chamber 67. A reel 68 is carried by the projecting end of each shaft 63 and has a peripheral drum 69 which extends over the spring housing 67 which results in a compact double -reel structure. A flat spiral spring 70 is disposed in each spring chamber. The inner end of each spring is secured to the shaft 63 and the outer end of the spring is attached to the spring housing flange 66.

Each reel 68 carries a cable 72 which is ad-apted to be attached to the carrier 17 as in FIG. l. A bracket 73 is attached to each ange 62 and carries a pair of guide rollers 74 through which the corresponding cable 72 extends. Each cable is provided with a rubber stop secured to it.

The center plate 60 carries an eye 71 which is adapted to be attached to the hoisting cable 20. The operation of this embodiment is similar to that above described. The double reel is more compact in form than that of FIGS. 2 and 3 and provides an added safety factor should one of the reels fail to operate properly on one of the cable parts. Various other embodiments may be employed in accordance with the invention.Y

lt is to be understood of course that the anchor line 21 may be permanently connected to the carrier and may be connectable to a Winch on the deck 2.4 for drawing the carrier down to the deck.

What is claimed is:

An apparatus for transferring personnel or other load at sea between a relatively stable platform and the deck of a small boat which is adapted to rise and fall with the sea waves, said apparatus` comprising a carrier which is adapted to support a load to be transferred, a hoisting mechanism mounted on said platform which includes a cable and means for advancing and retracting said cable, a preloaded spring reel which is attached to the free end of said hoisting cable and includes a cable which is normally retracted tinto said spring loaded reel, said carrier being attached to the free end of said reel cable, the preloading of said reel being such that in the absence of a counteracting force it will always yieldingly bias said carrier and a load thereof upwardly into engagement with said reel, a pull down reel which is mounted on said carrier and includes an anchoring cable the free end of which is adapted to be secured to the deck of said boat to and from which a load is to be transferred, and power means mounted on said carrier by which said pull down reel is actuated to reel in 'said anchoring cable and thereby pull said carrier down into engagement with the deck of said boat against the opposing action of said springv loaded reel'.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 685,579 Delaney Oct. 29, 1901 1,291,029 Lamont Ian. 14, 1919 2,045,533 Smaltz June 23, 1936 2,187,439 Woodeson et al. Jan. 16, 1940 2,854,154 Hepinstall Sept. 30, 1958 2,874,855 Rees Feb. 24, 1959 

